Heroic Vow
Most protagonists are depicted as imperfect; though heroic, they aren't flawless paragons of perfection, and will have some minor shortcomings to help the audience identify with them better. Even so, some characters make a Heroic Vow: a commitment or standard that they will not cross for whatever reason. Perhaps it's a promise to a dear one, a sense of pride, a personal Moral Event Horizon, or just because the hero is a nice guy. Key to the Heroic Vow is that it is a commitment the character keeps because he willingly wants to. There are no talismans or fail-safes preventing the breaking of the vow, the character's willpower and resolve are the only requirements. Note that the Heroic Vow doesn't necessarily have to be spoken (or written); a hero's behavior enforced with sheer personal willpower counts. If the vow is spoken/written, it may become a Badass Creed. Some Heroic Vows are so commonplace, they have their own tropes: **Celibate Hero (will not have romantic or sexual relationships) **Doesn't Like Guns (will not use firearms) **Never Hurt an Innocent **Thou Shalt Not Kill (will not commit murder — sometimes won't kill anything) **Wouldn't Hurt a Child **Wouldn't Hit a Girl **Not using a Dangerous Forbidden Technique is requested by a Mentor or self imposed after seeing the potential consequences. Examples * Carl and Ellie Fredricksen make a vow to visit Paradise Falls, even if it takes them an entire lifetime to do so. * Po endures everything thrown at him in his torturous training regime to become the Dragon Warrior. Noting that "a real warrior never quits," Po vows to persevere no matter what, and endures everything inflicted on him without complaint. * Kytheus Rhavenfell cuts his palm with a knife while swearing to protect Rhavenfell at all costs, as part of a traditional ceremony. * After Aggregor recaptures the last of his escaped prisoners, Ben makes one to save the aliens and stop Aggregor. * In The Best Night Ever, when the Mane Six's efforts to make their dreams come true fail, they each individually vow to redouble their efforts. ** This also happens in Applebuck Season, with Applejack vowing to bring in the harvest without anybody's help. * Spider-Man has the infamous quote, "With great power comes great responsibility." ** After J. Jonah Jameson's wife is murdered by Alistair Smythe thanks to his Spider-Sense burning out, Spider-Man adds a new one "As long as I live, no-one else dies." * Edward Elric vows to restore his brother's body without resorting to the Philosopher's Stone, which drives him for most of the story. He also refuses to kill people but unfortunately sometimes his two vows clash. ** Also Riza Hawkeye has promised Roy Mustang that if he ever deviates from the righteous path, she will shoot him rather than let him go against his ideals. * Shinn vows to protect Stella, even if it means handing her over to the Earth Alliance for medical treatment (and handing them a powerful combat asset), not attacking her while she wipes Berlin off the map, or attacking the Freedom in order to stop it from doing so. * George van Gelder and his friends pledge to protect each other no matter what. * Yukino Mayuzumi pledges to rescue Saeko-sama from the Snow Queen, no matter what. Quotes Gallery 9.38.jpg|Usagi vows to save Mamoru from the Dark Kingdom. Category:About Heroes